Kinetoscope.



15. M. WOODEN. KINETOSGOPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1909.

Patented Aug. 3,

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

6% Mentor M E. M. WOODEN.

KINETOSGOPE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.11, 1909.

929,743. Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. M. WOODEN.

KINETOSGOPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1909.

929,743. I Patented Aug. 3, 1909;

Inventor:

E. M. WOODEN.

KINETOSGOPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1999.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARLE M. WOODEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 RUBE R. FOGEL, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

KINETQSGOPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE M. WOODEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kinetoscopes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingoa part hereof.

Thisinvention relates to kinetoscopes 'or moving picture machines and is particularly concerned with the mechanism for effecting the movement of the film.

The movement of the film is usually effected by a Geneva or star wheel gear which permits the proper dwell in the movement of the film and eifects a relatively quick movement of the film between successive dwells. However, with the simple Geneva or star wheel the movement of the film is not 'sufiiciently rapid to prevent a flicker on the screen which is unpleasant and trying to the eyes of the spectators.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention, so far as -it relates to the movement of the film, to so improve the mechanism for moving the film that the dwell shall be relatively longer and the period of movement of the film relatively shorter than is now possible, so that the flicker of the images on the screen shall not be appreciable. At the same time provision is made whereby it is impossible to skip or overthrow and each picture on the film therefore receives its proper exposure on the screen.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated and in which Figure I is a view of the improved machine in elevation as seen from the right hand side. Fig. 2 is a partial 'view of the machine in front elevation, some parts being broken away to (permit parts beyond them to be shown an other parts being broken off to save space. Fig. 3 is a view in section on the plane indicated by the line 3.3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail view'in section, and on a larger scale than Fig. 2, of the improved 'mechanism for effecting the movement of the film. Fig 5 'is a'detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking 1n the direction of 'the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a detail view in section on the-plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 7 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line 7-'7 of Fig. 4,'looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 8 is a detail view in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4 as seen from the left hand. Fig. 9 is a view similar to. Fig. 7 but showing the parts in different positions. Fig. 10 is a detail view in front elevation of the upper portion of .the machine, illustrating particularly the devices for operating or controlling the safety shutter. Fig. 11 is a detail view, partly in longitudinal section, of the devices for operating or controlling'the shutter. Fig. 12

able standard or supporting frame (1 upon which the various movmg parts of the mechanism are mounted in any convenient manner. The main driving shaft b, to WhiClLIXlO- tion may be imparted from any suitable source of'power, is operatively connected, through a suitable train of gearing b and b, to the upper feed roll 6 and is also connected through a suitable train of gearing b b 1) and b, to the lower or take-up roll I). The gear 6 of the last mentioned train of gears also meshes with a pinion c on a shaft c which drives, through the devices hereinafter described, the feed roll d by which the step by step movement of the film is effected. Usually the shaft c carries the pin-and-flange bearing member of the Geneva train, which cooperates with the star wheel d on the shaft (1 of the feed roll (1, so that the relative duration of the period of movement and the periodof rest of the film is directly dependent upon the usual action of the Geneva train. In the present case, flange bearing member of the train 1s caused tohave a very much uicker effective movement than is'ordinari y the case so that the movement ofthe star wheel and therefore of the feed roll is almost instantaneous while the period of. rest of theffilmis proportion- 4O f produces a correspondingly swift partiaL in operation.

ately prolonged, thus preventing the flicker which is due to the usually longer period of movement and shorter period of rest.

In the construction shown, the shaft 0, constantly rotating, is engaged, as by a stud 0 with one-end ofa clock spring 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6, constantly putting the spring under tension while the machine is The other end of the spring 6 is secured to a spring drum e which is mounted loosely on the shaft 0 and engages, as by lu'gs e the member f of the Geneva train which carries the usual interru ted flange f for cooperation with the star w eel d. This wheel or member f, however, instead of being fast upon the shaft 0, is loose thereon and moves only with the spring drum e" under the' action of the spring 6. The spring drum 6 and wheel f are held from rotation during nearly an entire single rotation of the shaft 0 by a latch g or dog g, one arm of which en.- gages a lug f on. the wheel or member The spring g tends to pull the latch or dog out of the'path of the lug so as to. ermit the wheel or member to rotate, but is eld in the path of such lug except for a Very brief portion of the rotation of the shaft 0 by the other arm g of the latch which carries a lug g normallyresting on the eriphery of a disk h which is fast on the sha 't c and has a cam notch h, which, at each rotation of the shaft 0, permits the lug g on the arm 9 to move into the notch under the influence of the spring 9', and the latch or dog 9 to move out it, so that the member f can at no time move 50 of the path of the lug f on the member f. The member fis therefore stationary during nearly the entire single rotation. of the shaft .0 but moves with great rapidity under the influence of the spring e as soon as it is released. The swift movement of the member rotation of the star Wheel d and feed roll (1, and a correspondingly swift and almost instantaneous forward movement of the film. To prevent overrunning of the member), a pin or lug f is secured on the side of the member f in the ath of movement of a corresponding pin or ug k on the side of the disk farther than to over take the disk h. The movement of the feed roll d is therefore absolutely timed by the rotation of the shaft 0, a

single forward movement of the film taking placeat each complete rotation of-the shaft 0'. To increase or diminish the tension of the spring e, the s ring drum e and member fare separated to isengage the lugs on the spring drum from the slots in the member f and such relative rotation of the two, in-one direction or the other, is effected or permitted as niay be necessaryto secure the pro er I tension for the spring. In Figsf5, 7 an 8,

the lug g on the arm 9 of the latch g is shown as resting u on the eriphery of the notched disk It just efore t e notch reaches the lug from an arm 1.

and the release of the memberf permitted,

The mechanism for controlling the safety shutter" is shown particularly in Figs. 1 and The latter is mounted on the lost motion,

a crank shaft, With provision for through a sleeve 2' which'has an obliquely As'shown, the shaft 1) is driven by f plied to the crank 11 to drive the machine, t e

disk '5 will be carried towardthe disk 7?, through the cooperation of the slot 7? and pin 11 clamping the disk 7c between the disks 2' and i and rotating it forward until the forward movement of the arm 7c is checked and that the arm is will be held in its new position during the continued forward movement of the crank i, the disks 1 and i slip ping upon the disk 7c. It will also be evident that. asfsoon as the driving force on the crank is-relieved, the crank will drop backward, if

it be in its upward movement, or will'be spring 71? if it has thrown backward by a passed its highest oint an is moving downward; Such bac ward movement of t e crank with respect to the shaft 1) will cause the disk 11 to move away from the disk i through the cooperation of the slot '17 and pin i thereby releasing the disk is, the arm is of which will immediately fall to a vertical position below the shaft 1). In its forward or u Ward movement the arm is strikes a pm I w 'ch projects through the side of the frame The toe l of the arm co-acts with an arm m of the shaft m which carries the drop shutter m. The arm 7:, in its forward or upward movement, therefore lifts the shutter and holds it-raised so long as driving power is appliedfo the shaft b, but

as soon as the drivm power is discontinued the arm 7c" dro s an therefore permlts the shutter m" to o It will be undei stood that various details of construction andarrangement may be.

made to suit different conditions of use and that the invention is not limited to the precise,

construction shown and described herein.

' I claim as my invention: f 1. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with the fecd roll, star wheel and driving shaft therefo of'a sprin impelled driving member for the star whee mounted loosely and meansv to hold the drivof the rotation of the shaft and to re ease it for forward impulses by the spring;-

. 2. In a machine of the character described,

ing member from rotation during a ortion the combination with the feed roll, star wheel and driving shaft therefor, of a starwheel-driving member mounted loosely on the shaft, a spring connected at one end to the driving member and at the other end to the shaft and means to hold the driving member from rotation during a portion of the rotation of the shaft and release it to be driven forward by the spring.

, 3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the feed roll, star wheel and driving shaft therefor, of a starwheel-driving member mounted loosely on the shaft, a spring connected at one end to the shaft and at the other end to the driving member, a latch normally holding the driving member from rotation and means actuated by the forward rotation of the shaft to disengage the latch.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the feed roll, star wheel and driving shaft therefor, of a starwheel-driving member mounted loosely on the shaft, a spring connected at one end on the shaft and at the other end to the driving member, a latch normally holding the driving member from rotation and a notched cam disk carried by the shaft and cooperating with the latch to hold it normally in engagement with the driving member and to permit its disengagement at a predetermined point.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the feed roll, star wheel and driving shaft therefor, of a spring impelled star-wheel-driving member loosely mounted, means to hold said member from rotation and release the same and means to prevent overrunning of said member with res ect to the driving shaft.

In a machine of the character described, the combination with the feed roll star wheel and driving shaft therefor, of a star- Wheel-driving member, s ring impelled, loosely mounted on the shaft, means to hold said driving member from rotation and to re lease the same and a disk secured on the shaft adjacent to said driving member, said disk and said driving member having projections in the same path of rotation whereby said driving member is prevented from over running with respect to the shaft.

This specification signed and witnessed this 6th day of March, A. D., 1909.

"EARLE M. WOODEN.

Signed in the presence of W. B. GREELEY, AMBROSE L. OSHEA. 

